Phill Luckhurst:
By now you will have realised that Coppermine is a very powerful application for the webmaster. As well as powerful it is both simple and complex at the same time. Basic functions are very simple but it is a scalable application and the more features you use the more knowledge you require to maintain it.

Fortunately, installing and updating is a very simple exercise. A basic Coppermine install can be done in about the same time it takes to make a decent cup of tea. Upgrading an un-modified Coppermine install takes about the same time too. Having said this, many people still want to pay someone to take on this task. Often, people worry that they do not have the skills or will mess things up. Fear is usually the only hurdle you have to overcome as the skill set required to perform these tasks can be learned very quickly.

Why should you learn these skills when you can pay someone to do the task? Well, there really is nothing wrong with that if you are aware that once you have paid you will need to continue doing so. As any computer user will know, the operating system, your web browser and many other applications often need security updates or bug fixes. Coppermine is no different but fortunately updates are less frequent. Unfortunately, you cannot expect it to do it automatically for you. If you do not keep up you run the risk of getting hacked. But do you want to pay out every time an update of Coppermine is required?

As a webmaster you also need to take regular backups of your site, both your data and your database. Many things can go wrong, hosts can lose your data if their system fails, hosts have been known to go bust, websites can get hacked etc. Are you willing to pay to have you site backed up regularly and have it restored if something goes wrong?

All the above things take the same skill set and these skills can be learned to a basic level by almost everyone in a very short time. If you are capable of copying files, reading the docs and putting the required data in a box then you are capable installing and maintaining Coppermine website. If you struggle to learn these skills then consider paying someone to teach you rather than just paying for the job. It will save you much heartache and money in the long run.